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Ronald Reagan Ethos Pathos Logos

Decent Essays

It is January 28th, 1986, seven members of the Challenger Space Shuttle take off for an exploration of a lifetime, but never return. The entire United States is watching this tragedy unfold. Later that evening Ronald Reagan, the president, gets on national television to deliver the State of the Union Address. Instead, he gives the “Speech on the Challenger Disaster.” President Reagan uses tone, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical tools, to commend and mourn the seven with the Nation. President Reagan is sympathetic and passionate when condoling and grieving with people of the United States. The tone of president Reagan is somber and optimistic, and his purpose is to promote NASA and commemorate the astronauts in order to calm the audience …show more content…

Reagan uses credibility, a part of ethos, to explain to children the unexplainable. He compassionately says, “I want to say something to the school children… I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful thing like this happen” (Reagan 5). He also consoles … the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we’re thinking about you so very much. (Reagan 3) This sentence shows he is a compassionate, wise, and considerate man, who wants the families to know they are not alone. Ronald Reagan uses pathos to create deep emotions within his audience “We’ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle;” (Reagan 2). He is saying that this is not the end of the space program, but another chapter and “Perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the member of the challenger crew, were pioneers” (Reagan 4). This tragedy is new and scary for the American people. Even though we do not exactly know how to deal with a situational tragedy like this, we must stand together. The usage of ethos and pathos shows how much Ronald Reagan, the president, truly does care for the …show more content…

Reagan uses parallel structure to create a lasting impression, “ But we’ve never lost an astronaut in flight; we’ve never had a tragedy like this” (Reagan 2) He uses parallel structure as a source for repetition, except that the first word is repeated for effect, not full sentences. “They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us” (Reagan 3). He achieved his purpose by the use of rhetorical tools with the use of parallel structure. Reagan uses the rhetorical tools to emphasize. He lists each astronaut to mourn their deaths with the public, “We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe” (Reagan 2). Listing each name signifies how important it is that the nation knows who gave their life for this exploration. Reagan also uses words with positive connotation to put the audience on his side and to make the words he is speaking feel warm and inviting “I’ve always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don’t hide our space program” (Reagan 6). President Reagan uses rhetorical tools to accomplish his purpose of hope to the American people and to commemorate the seven astronauts who gave their lives on

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